Not Finished

Elijah arose quickly and left town heading south for Beersheba. He hoped that his early exit had discouraged Jezebel from pursuing him, but he was worried. The queen of Samaria had threatened Elijah and in one day Elijah ran 120 miles. He had already faced forty knife wielding false prophets, yet on this day he is strangely afraid of this woman.

She had him running from the prophetic life; from walking with God and hearing from God. Elijah was burnt out, over extended and depleted from ministry. He was coping with apparent failure, withdrawal and tendencies toward self destruction. He was finished?

Jezebel may never actually chased him and we don’t know whether she ever sent an assassin after Elijah but her intimidation had done its work. A messenger of Satan, a tormenting spirit, had filled his mind. When the enemy finds out he cannot kill us physically, he seeks to kill our future and our effectiveness by intimidation. He does that best by filling us with fears about tomorrow or reminders of yesterdays failures. Thinking about past failings or trying to solve future problems that may never happen, wastes the only day in which we can actually make a difference- today! Elijah had lost sight of a future with God or at least felt that God was not watching. He felt his ministry was finished?

Elijah headed toward Beersheba were Abraham and Jacob had returned to meet with God. Perhaps Elijah hoped against hope that he would hear from God again and when he arrived he went further into the wilderness alone. May be he remembered Hagar who also went into the wilderness of Beersheba and thought that if Hagar the gentile servant girl was “seen” by the LORD, God could see him there too.

Elijah leaned back against the tall upright trunk of a broom tree and said to God “It is enough!” God had never stopped seeing him and had not finished revealing Himself to Elijah. Elijah had not finished his course and God sent an angel to make sure he did. The food from heaven gave him enough strength to get to his next lesson and encounter with God. God is never finished with you until you finish.

Friend, whenever you think it is too hard to go on, God not only sees but understands our struggles. When we think our journey has ended, we’ll find it’s a set up to give us encouragement and the food we need for our next journey. So when you’re sitting under a tree thinking “It is enough!” think about Him, who stayed on the tree for us, until he could say “It is finished” and wait until He feeds you. He will!